Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-03-10
DEATH OF II. w. BEECHER.
The IllustriOus Divine Dies from the
Effects ola Stroke Of Paralysis.
A Brief sketch Of the Life and Career
Of the Great Preacher--One of the
Most Noted Men of the Century.

On the night of the 4th, Rev. II. w.
Beecher the great Brooklyn divine, was
stricken by paralysis. He fingered on
the border line that divides life and death
until $50 a. m. of the Sth, when he
passed away. From the tenor of the dis
patches which had been sent out the
whole country was prepared for the an
nOuncement at any moment.
Henry Ward Beecher was the second
son and fourth of the issue of Rev. Ly-
man Beecher, who achieved great repu-
tation in temperance effort, and in polemics
early in the century. Catharine, the
eldest sister of Henry Ward la
bored thirty years as teacher of
girls and writer for women. She died
unmarried, her betrothed Prof Foster,
of Yale college, having persisted in a ship
wreck. Edward was for years president
of Illinois college at Jacksonville, and
later in life was a Congregational minis
ter and the author of several religious
treatises, one of which teaches metem-
psychosis in a modified form Harriet
(Beecher) Stowe is a year older than
Henry Ward Although her great fame
rests on Uncle Toms Cabin" had this
never appeared her other literary work
would have entitled her to claim the
Beecher name. Like all of the family
she had love of disputation. which in
her case will be recalled as a sensational
attack on the poet Byron. Thomas X. is
also well known as divine and author,
but his later years have been marked by
ecccntricity
Henry Ward Beecher was born at
Litchfield, Conn, June "a, 1913, and hav-
ing graduated from Amherst college, took
the theological course at Lane theological
seminary, Cincinnati, O., then presided
over by his father. His first call was to
Lawrenceburg, Ind, and two years later
1880 he was called to Indian
apolis. In 1S47 he was invited to the
new Plymouth church at Brooklyn where
he speedily grew into fame as perhaps
the greatest pulpit orator of the nation,
and 1t is doubtful if his equal has arisen
during the thirty years he has had charge
of Plymouth.
DR.. Beecher's life has been an exceed
ingly busy one, for in addition to the
clerical functions which many less STIR
ring men would have regarded as ample
occupation, he has been engaged almost
since entering the ministry. in newspaper
work, and in later years in formal author
ship. His earnings as pastor and as
writer have been very great, but his
purse has been almost open to the world
and 1t will not be strange if he died
relatively poor man.
But Henry Ward Beecher would have
great fame without the above career In
1868 he went to England specially to pre-
sent correct view of the war then rag
ing to the British public. and accomplish
cd much in this regard. A son
went into the service, and the il
lustriOus father was never back
ward in forwarding the humani-
arian efforts attending on the operation
If armies in the field and the questions
;rowing out of the peace settlement
Dr. Beecher in politics was an ardent
republican, but the Beecher independence
of thought asserted itself in the fierce
campaigne of 1884, when he refused to
support his party nominee.
DR.. Beecher, in his notable life has
once more exemplitied the remarkable
versatility of the American character as
man who could ''in his time play many
parts" and all of them in commanding
position. He dies with the reputation of
an illustrious divine, wise statesman,
and pleasing author.